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As NZ audiences prepare for a new season of The Bachelor, the latest American season has come to an awkward end.

SPOILER ALERT

Every Bachelor season finale is its own special kind of cringeworthy TV.

You only have to look at the downward spiral of the second season of the New Zealand version of the romance reality show, in which Jordan Mauger dumped Fleur Verhoeven 24 hours after she was announced the winner, for proof.

Jordan Mauger and Fleur Verhoeven just hours before their happy union came to an end. Photo/Doug Sherring

Viewers had just watched Bachelor star Nick Viall, a 36-year-old software salesman from Wisconsin, propose to Vanessa Grimaldi, a 29-year-old special education teacher from Canada.

The runner-up was Raven Gates, a 25-year-old fashion boutique owner from Arkansas. It was an interesting decision, considering Vanessa frequently expressed her doubts about the relationship, while Raven eagerly claimed she was ready for marriage.

Anyway, as is tradition on After the Final Rose, the "winners," Nick and Vanessa, sat down for interviews with host Chris Harrison and tried to show the world they were a happy couple.

... and many more. What went so awry? Essentially, the episode played out like an uncomfortable therapy session. First, Harrison brought out Nick by himself, who uttered an unconvincing assurance that he was "very happy" and "everything's good."

Then, Vanessa got a solo interview, and Harrison grilled her about the relationship. Vanessa echoed Nick: "It's been good," she sighed.

"Some days are tougher than others. Like any relationship, I'm sure people here could understand that and relate to it. Ours is just televised."

Translation: Not so good! Vanessa quickly got reflective as she told Harrison that she wished she had seen an entire season of the show before signing up so she would know what she was getting herself into. (Pro tip: Before you sign up for a reality show, watch an entire season.)

"I think I treated this relationship as if it was a real relationship in a very unrealistic world," Vanessa said. "There were moments where I had to understand 'Nick the bachelor' and 'Nick the guy that I was dating' and the individual relationship that I had going with him.

Harrison's interview veered into therapy session territory again. "How scared were you?" he asked Nick. "And are you still a little scared about things working out, just because you've been down this road before?" (Nick also appeared on Bachelor in Paradise last summer, making this his fourth appearance on the franchise.)

"I've always been a realist, and even as the bachelor, I was a realist. That's why you saw me have some of those fears and emotional moments," Nick said.

"As Vanessa mentioned, there's been those moments, we've had our struggles. But we're good communicators and we talk. ... I think we're still looking forward to having that first normal moment."

Harrison pointed out that Bachelor viewers on social media have very high expectations.

"It's tough in the real world," he said. "Now you guys are really fighting for this and really trying to make it happen. So, I'm sure you guys are feeling that pressure that every couple goes through."

There was a long pause. "Yeah," Vanessa ventured. "Like I said, our relationship is televised ... but at the end of the day, like, we know what we have, and we don't really have to prove anything to anyone."

"Have you guys been able to kind of insulate yourselves, and will you be able to continue to do that?" Harrison pressed.

"All we've done is insulate ourselves!" Nick shot back, a bit desperately, as there was uncomfortable laughter from the studio audience. "I think we're looking to kind of, you know, get out there ... we're just really looking forward to any type of normalcy."

After Harrison urged Vanessa to reveal her biggest fear (spoiler: It's the relationship not working out), he asked the $1 million question: "Are you guys going to get married?"

"We're taking baby steps," Vanessa replied smoothly. "We're still in the process of really getting to know each other. We still have things to figure out, but we're very optimistic about what the future holds."

Finally, Harrison brought up one possible point of tension: That Nick is going on Dancing With the Stars, which means he'll be in Los Angeles for weeks, and puts even more pressure on the couple. In addition, people will judge Nick for yet another reality show appearance.

Vanessa did not look pleased with his comment. "I feel like in this world, you choose door A, people will still say something. You choose door B people will still say something," she said.

"I'm excited for this chapter in our life that we're starting together. It's not like he's done Dancing four times."

"It's not like he's done Dancing FOUR times." Vanessa, throwing shade like a damn pro. #bachelor

"That's true. Good point ... you cannot please everybody," Harrison agreed. He turned to Nick. "I asked her this, and I'll ask you the same of you. Do you feel like you're a team? Do you feel like she's got your back, and vice versa?"

"Absolutely," Nick said. There was a stretch of silence as Harrison waited for him to follow-up - but he didn't say anything else.

The show then moved to a "surprise" segment, as producers brought out new bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, as well as the first group of men who will compete for her love this summer. Immediately, people speculated that it was a planned distraction: